The dawn-to-dusk nation-wide hartal organised by Left parties and trade unions on Tuesday was peaceful in the district, barring a few incidents.
The hartal resembled a bandh. Shops and other business establishments, banks and government offices remained closed in all major towns.
Hartal supporters forcibly closed certain banks and offices in Pathanamthitta, Pandalam, Adoor, Ranni, Mallappally, Kozhencherry and Konni.
KSRTC staff held
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) did not operate any service in the district. A Punalur-bound fast-passenger bus coming from Guruvayur was blocked by hartal supporters, mostly employees of the corporation, when it reached the bus station here around 10 am.
The police rushed to the spot, removed the protesters and escorted the bus up to Kalanjoor. Five KSRTC employees were arrested in this connection.
Assaulted
P.S. Subhash, postmaster, and Easow, senior clerk, at the Head Post Office here were assaulted.
B. Mohanan, Postal Superintendent, told The Hindu that the post office was closed as no public transactions took place owing to the hartal. However, hartal supporters gate-crashed into the office and unleashed terror, threatening nearly 15 women employees.
“This is not the first time that the Head Post Office in Pathanamthitta is becoming a soft target of hartal supporters, and we have already filed a complaint before the police here, seeking stern action against all the culprits,” he said.
Rail blockade
The hartal supporters blocked the Thiruvanthapuram-Mangalore Parasuram Express at the Thiruvalla railway station for about 15 minutes from 10 a.m.
District Cooperative Bank president R. Sanalkumar led the blockade.
The hartal supporters staged marches in Pathanamthitta, Thiruvalla, Ranni, Adoor and Mallappally.
T.K.G. Nair, district secretariat member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), inaugurated the march here.
